The Two Sided Heart v2
by Igor Lollipop
Summary: Sora, Kairi and Riku thought they had seen it all in their previous adventures until they meet a new Keyblade wielder who seems to possess mysterious powers. What's more is that there is a Keyblade war looming on the horizon as Maleficient recruits some old and new villains for the job. The final goal? Kingdom Hearts. AU. SoKai, and other pairings. A new take on my original version
1. 1: Evacuate the Dance Floor

**A/N: Before I begin this story, I have an extremely long author's note. Feel free to skip on to the actual story if you like (I promise not to use too many notes in the future and, if I do, I will try to keep them to the end of the story, and short!) **

"**The Two Sided Heart," you say with disbelief, "But why?! Haven't you finally let us go?" And I say, of course, "No way!" I've been itching to rewrite the series for a while, as if that wasn't obvious by my previous failed attempts to do so. I was actually particularly inspired to keep this newer version of Two Sided all in one. Meaning, instead of breaking the story up, I just want to make it one gigantic one; I got this idea from a story I have been following since before I even began to write this series. I won't delete my old one, however, because, well, I am sentimental as anything. I cannot delete that; it's my baby. So, basically, the original story and all of its off shoots only serve their purposes in that I want to preserve those memories. This is "canon" (in my AU world, anyway). **

**An important note: I actually haven't played **_**Birth By Sleep **_**or **_**Dream Drop Distance **_**so you will have to forgive me if I say something that goes against canon, as it were, since I only have so much to work with. I will do my best to launch my own theories based on what I know about the games, and what I can gather from reading/watching the games. **

**Final note: This is an AU Kingdom Hearts, obviously. For now, it's rated T for language and violence. **

**Disclaimer - I do not own the Kingdom Hearts series, I only own my original characters. **

* * *

Chapter One: Evacuate the Dance Floor

"_There is a song that sings to souls, a voice guiding us back home. _

_Listen._

_Say my name, I will be by your side. _

_[...] Come home, come home to me."_

"Atlantis" - Popeska ft. Anna Yvette

* * *

The room rang with the sound of a video game controller slamming into wood, followed by a, "Fucking hate this boss, man!" Two girls, seemingly overdressed for playing video games, were situated relatively near a bulky television flashing 'Game Over.' One of them, a brunette with long, pale legs, had her every being focused on twirling a purple straightener around the locks of the girl playing the video games.

"Stefa," the focused girl said, "You say that every time, but you always go back and fight him again." In a heavier voice, she added, "If you want your hair to come out looking somewhat decent, I need you not to flail everywhere."

"My Mom probably doesn't appreciate all of the noise I'm making, anyway," mumbled Stefa as she sat, dejected, her eyes on one of her fainted party members. "How's my hair coming along?"

"I'm almost done, you can fidget again soon without worry."

Stefa smiled in her friend's general direction. "I'm impressed by your abilities, Nalani. Turning a straightener into a curling iron. What's next, water into wine?"

"You take me way too seriously, but thank you," Nalani replied with a laugh. "Close your eyes." She took a small, brightly-colored bottle and misted the spray over her friend's head. "Maybe you should consider leveling up before you fight the guy again, just some friendly advice."

"That takes forever!" whined Stefa, her foot idly kicking at one of the many articles of clothing smothering the floor.

Nalani grinned. "Patience is in your dictionary, right?"

"Hardly. I'm a swimmer! I like to be in and out, like a bullet."

Nalani uncurled the strand of hair around the straightener and tilted her head to the side. "I'm not so sure if that's the right analogy to throw in there, and I desperately want to make a dirty joke out of it instead... But, look! Open your eyes and go look in the mirror. Let me know how I did."

Stefa happily leapt off of the leather chair and walked over the clothes-covered floor to the mirror hanging on the back of the bedroom door. "Ah, I love it, but that's no surprise there." She returned to find Nalani seated at the desk, leaning over into a lighted mirror as she traced the top of her eyelid with some liquid eyeliner. _"_It's perfect. Thank you, you're a life saver. I'm hopeless when it comes to hair." Nalani stood up and patted her shoulder. "I guess I should do my makeup, too. What time is it?"

Nalani grabbed a purple cellphone off of the headboard. "6:30. They should be here soon."

"No problem, I'm well practiced with this bull. I hope I don't trip and fall tonight. Those heels are going to kill," she said under her breath as she started tracing her second eye. "Is Ceron picking up Quince first?"

"He damn well better be," said Nalani as she zipped the dress. "Hopefully both of them remembered the flowers..."

Stefa snorted. "Knowing Quince, I probably should have reminded him."

"Elie will keep him on top of things. Is she coming with? Does she have a date?"

"I think she's going to meet us there. Not sure if she managed to find a date."

"Better text and be sure..." Nalani's thumbs moved furiously across the phone's keyboard.

A faint chiming emitted from somewhere in the house, and Stefa nearly poked herself in the eye with the eyeliner applicator. "Shit! Is that them already?"

"The one time that they're early, the _one_ time," grumbled Nalani. "You done?"

"Uh, yeah, I'm alright. You?"

"Yep, let's go!"

"Girls, your dates are here!" the voice of Stefa's mother carried up the stairs as they hustled out of the bedroom.

Downstairs, they found a a short woman with frosted blond hair speaking with two boys. They dwarfed her height and both looked equally impressive in suits already pinned with boutonnieres. "Thank goodness you already have that on," said Stefa to the boy with brown hair. "I'm hopeless at pinning those."

"We know," replied the taller black-haired boy with a smirk on his lips. Nalani elbowed him, but he did not seem to mind. His mouth fell open at the sight of her. "Nalani, you look, you... Wow."

Nalani drew her red-painted lips back in a smile. "Thank you."

The brunet wolf-whistled, and Stefa rolled her eyes, "Looking good yourself, Ceron."

"What about me?" demanded the whistling boy, eyebrows raised and a mock frown on his face.

Stefa inclined her head. "You look alright."

"Stefa is certainly the more attractive out of the two of you, Quince, but who's surprised by that?" said Ceron, grinning once again.

Quince raised an arm to push Ceron, then put it back down. "Whatever, man." He turned his attention back to Stefa and managed a smile. "You really do look nice, Stef."

"And look, I can almost match your height in these heels!" said Stefa, leaning up on her toes to try and reach his height. She lost her balance, and Quince promptly reached out to steady her.

Her mother smiled. "You all look wonderful. You're going to have a great time! Stefa, did your remember to grab your overnight bag?" Stefa raised her hand, the heavy duffle bag clenched between her fingers. "Have fun, sweetie!"

"What happened to Elie?" asked Nalani once she realized there was not a third person in the house.

Quince seemed to pale a little. "She said that she was going to meet us there."

Stefa squinted at him. "Really? Do you know why?"

"She probably wanted to come with her date. We're going to get shitty parking if we don't hurry," he added when the other two stared at him.

* * *

The group waded submerged themselves with an even larger crowd of well-dressed teenagers as everyone headed for the gym's entrance. Stefa parted some streamers out of her vision and glanced behind and before them. "Anyone see Elie?"

"Maybe she's sick," said Quince with a shrug.

Nalani narrowed her eyes at him. "That's an awfully shitty thing to say about your cousin. Actually, I'm sort of surprised to see that you showed up after all. You looked pretty awful this afternoon."

He shrugged. "I've been on and off for the entire week. Maybe I gave whatever I had to her."

Ceron elbowed him. "C'mon, man, don't pretend. We all know you were just faking so you could skip your last few classes."

Stefa snorted. "Doubtful. Those nurses really know how to look out for that stuff."

Ceron shook his head. "Why am I not surprised that you have tried this? You two are like a match made in hell."

"Isn't it beautiful?" replied Stefa with a grin as they walked through another set of doors where the volume rose substantially. Crepe paper hung from every entrance and beam and even donned the walls. The beams over what was to serve as the dance floor were decorated with balloons. A large screen on the north wall, behind the DJ's area, was already playing the dance's first song.

Nalani tapped on Stefa's shoulder and pointed toward one of the cramped tables. "Look!" A girl, shorter than both of them, with curly hair shoved into pigtails was seated at one of the tables. She seemed to be talking to two other kids who were also seated at the table. "Elie!"

The brunette turned and beamed in their direction before waving them over. "Guess that's our table," noted Ceron as they approached the group. "Yo, Elie."

"Guys, you all look great!"

Stefa looked at Elie's dress and nodded with approval. It was thigh-length and navy blue with a silver ribbon tied around the waist. "Elie, I love your dress _so _much. It's very you."

"Not as you as that red dress deal you've got going on right now. And Nalani, you're rocking the hell out of that dress."

"Well... yeah." They both laughed. "So, who're your friends?"

"And do you have a date?" added Stefa as she glanced around.

"Sort... of. I decided to invite a friend of mine, and he wanted to bring another friend, so I guess I'm sharing a date, as it were," she added with a giggle. "That would be these two," she gestured to them.

The boy approached them first. He was not as tall as either Quince or Ceron, but he had more muscle, even that was evident enough through his white dress shirt. His hair was shaggy, dyed at the ends with blue. He shook Stefa's hand in a very firm grip. "My name's Stefa," she said, raising her voice a little as the gym grew louder. His voice was lost to the crowd, and then he was moving over to Nalani. Ceron inserted himself between the two of them and somehow made it look casual. Nalani frowned a little.

The girl was about Stefa's height, maybe shorter, but was certainly more willowy and small. She wore a strapless dress, too, black with a pink ribbon stretching vertically from the top to the skirt and a second ribbon the crossed the first and tied around the waist. The dress was not what caught her attention first, even though that was Stefa's style. She tried not to stare for too long, but the girl had hair so pale that it seemed to lack any pigment at all. The combination was oddly unsettling in combination with the girl's brown eyes. Stefa attempted to introduce herself, but she could no longer even hear her own voice, let alone the girl's. _'Not that it really matters. Come tomorrow, I won't even remember their names.' _

"Since Elie invited you two, I'm assuming you're not from around here?" asked Stefa with a polite smile.

"No, we're not, but we really like this place. This school's pretty big. Ah, suburbia," said the boy with a grin. "We're from the city."

Stefa nodded. "Oh, the city! I love the city."

"And you guys wanted to come all the way out here? I'm sorry," said Nalani with a truly apologetic look on her face. "The city's definitely more fun than this dump."

"Not at all. We haven't seen Elie in a while, so we thought it might be nice to come and see her. It turned out that we got a bonus when she said it was Homecoming weekend!" announced the girl with a serene smile.

Stefa looked around, expectantly, for Quince. He was completely ignoring the couple as he stared out towards the dance floor. "You look pale again. Are you sure you're okay enough to be here?"

"Yeah, you know... I think I need some fresh air. I'll be back." Stefa tried to grab his arm, but he was gone faster than her reflexes could react.

"...How do you know Elie and Quince?" she heard Ceron ask.

"Family friends. We used to live in the suburbs a long time ago," answered the boy. His date tugged on his sleeve and gestured for him to lean in. Stefa never thought she'd see the day where Elie was one of the taller people around. A grin stretched across his face as the girl giggled. "We'll be back!"

Clearly no longer worried about competition, Ceron set his jacket on the back of one of the chairs. "Where are you going?' asked Nalani.

"Off to the buffet for some food, of course."

Stefa raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you going to dance?"

Nalani shook her head. "This loser hates dancing, but I expect at least one slow dance later! One, Ceron!"

Ceron waved her off. "Fine, yeah, sure. Whatever you say, dear."

Elie giggled. "So, Nalani? What do you think? I was sure he'd be just your type if, you know, Ceron wasn't around. But he is, so, you know. Back off."

"I think that Ceron has the same concerns in his mind, as he should since he doesn't deserve you," said Stefa with a sagely nod.

Elie bounced back and forth on her feet. "I don't know when anyone's going to come with... Stef, you want to dance? Please? I didn't come here to sit around!"

Stefa shrugged. "Sure. Good luck convincing Ceron to dance with you, Nal."

"Thanks, I'm going to need it."

It took Elie and Stefa more time to get to a decent spot on the dance floor than it did for them to dance to a few silly little pop songs. When Stefa looked back in the direction of their table, she saw Nalani, still alone. "Looks like Nala's alone still, we should probably go back. Also, I'm starving." When they returned to the table, it was still just Nalani, who was tapping her foot against the floor. "How're you doing?"

"I'm about to kill someone," she answered, her eyes moving past them to stare at Ceron, who was also coming off of the dance floor.

"Yo," he said with an apprehensive glance sent Nalani's way.

Nalani's face was completely blank, and her voice was calm. "Ceron, let's talk where we can hear each other's voices."

"Why?" He looked to Stefa with a horrified expression she was not used to seeing on his serene face. "All we have to do is raise our voices a bit, I don't see a problem."

"I want you to be able to hear me when I'm really raising mine, okay? Come with me. Stef, we'll be back. Go find that attractive guy." Nalani stalked off with Ceron close behind, dragging his feet.

Stefa looked at Elie. "What was that about?"

Elie shrugged. "Beats me. Hey, is it okay if I go visit a few friends? There was someone I _actually _wanted to ask out, but I thought it would be more polite to invite friends, you know?"

"Go for it." Stefa sat at the table with the expectation that Quince, or anyone else, would return. She was unsure of how long she had been sitting and waiting for Nalani and Ceron to return when she noticed that she could not locate anyone. "A good fucking night, yep."

As soon as she turned around to speak with a friend seated at the table behind hers, Nalani came back, alone. She rushed up to the table, knocking into a chair on her way. Stefa raised her eyebrows as she glanced back at her. Nalani's face, which had been flushed when she left, was now white. Her eyes were wide. "Whoa, hey, are you okay? What happened?" asked Stefa as she scrambled to her feet.

"Quince... I went to talk with Ceron down the hall by my history classroom, and there was Quince with Elie's friends."

"They're his friends, too, I guess. Family friends."

Nalani shook her head. "No, it kind of seemed like they were threatening him. Ceron didn't seem to notice, the idiot, but... There were speaking in low voices, and he was up against the lockers while the other two faced him. I don't know if there's bad blood, or what... Could explain why Quince has been looking sick. Maybe you should go listen for yourself. I'm sure they're still there. Go the other way, though, so you have a better chance of listening in. Maybe you can get closer."

"Aren't there security guards dotting the school?"

"Take off your shoes so they won't hear you, or say you need to use the bathroom. I don't know. Be creative."

Stefa's curiosity was piqued. "Okay. Are you going to be okay here by yourself?"

"Sure, Elie's coming back now, and I'm going to get something to drink."

"Hey, where's Ceron, by the way?"

"Ugh. Who the fuck cares?" grumbled Nalani as she marched off, in the direction of Elie's distantly bobbing head.

Stefa crept out of the gym with her clutch tucked carefully under her arm. Following Nalani's advice, she traced her way back towards the entrance. No one stopped her as she crept down the stairs and took an abrupt beeline towards the classroom and office part of the building.

As she walked, she became painfully aware of a clicking noise. "These shoes really won't cut it." She bent over and unhooked the heels, seizing the straps in her hand, and turned down two more hallways before Nalani's classroom came into her view.

Sure enough, Quince was still there, back against a locker while the girl stood before him, hands on her waist. Stefa came within a few feet of them and promptly slid into the crevice between two sets of lockers. The girl's voice was low, too low for Stefa to hear, even at the proximity. There was silence, and then Quince said, "Whatever. Who cares?"

The girl giggled. "Aw, fine. How about you do it for _me_? How about that? Why don't you help me out? Pretty please?" she added, her voice dripping with a sugary sweetness. Stefa narrowed her eyes and shook her head, wondering if Nalani had heard the conversation out of context. There was more giggling, and more. Stefa knew she had to chance a glance. She dipped her head out from between the lockers and saw the girl's hand on Quince's face. _'Okay.' _

Deciding she did not care about anything regarding Quince anymore, Stefa stepped out of the alcove and made to leave but, not paying attention, she banged her elbow against the locker. She stopped, though she could feel eyes burning into her back, and rubbed her elbow, "Fucking lockers!"

"Were you spying on us?" asked the girl, a smile, both amused and vaguely threatening, playing on her lips.

Quince walked over to her and grabbed her clutch off of the carpeting. "No, I was coming to look for Quince, to talk to him," she said, still wincing.

"Then why were you hiding?"

Stefa had never been particularly good with witty replies in the heat of the moment. "Mind your own business."

She laughed again. "Whatever. All you know is that I have a thing for your boyfriend, and he has a thing for me."

"Whatever, I'm about a million percent done with this entire situation. You should maybe stick with your own date, though, instead of going after other people's." Stefa marched on ahead, leaving Quince to take up the rear, until he convinced her to stop in another hallway. Much to her satisfaction, there were also lockers here. "Where the fuck have you been all night? I've been dancing with friends all night, and sitting at the table by myself. Not that I mind dancing with friends, but the entire point of a date is to have someone to spend time with!" She hit a nearby locker with her palm and winced.

"I've just been reminiscing, you know."

"Nalani said that you were being harassed by your friends. But you looked fine to me."

"We didn't end off on good terms last they were here, okay? And then they wanted to talk about my brother, and you know how great that makes me feel. I didn't leave you on purpose."

"See, I want to believe you, but I can't." She raised her hand to hit the locker again, but he stopped her.

"I'll make it up to you. I'll go dance with you right now if you stop hitting things."

Stefa shrugged. "Fine, whatever."

Upon their return to the gym, they found Ceron, his hand holding up his head, gazing sullenly upon the dance floor while Elie dug into some food. "Uh, hey," said Quince. "What's wrong?"

"Nalani."

They only had to follow his line of sight to find what they had easily assumed: Nalani was dancing with Elie's date. "It's just a dance, right? Don't worry about it. She's crazy about you. She's pissed at you, but she's not going to do anything juvenile about it," said Quince as soothingly as possible while Stefa folded her arms over her chest. "Stef? A little encouragement?"

"Probably shouldn't have pissed her off, Ceron. Good for her."

"I don't think you're going to do very well at cheering him up, Stef. Let's go dance. El, you alright?"

"Perfect," chirped Elie in her perpetually happy voice. "Go ahead. You should take advantage of the time you're not fighting. But, um... Come here, for a sec." Her smile temporarily disappeared. Eyebrows knitted together, Quince ducked his ear beside her lipgloss covered lips.

As they submerged themselves into the crowd, she looked at his impassive face. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Her friend just complained to her, or something, I guess. You know how girls are."

"I do, hm? What does that mean... exactly?"

"I can't hear you over the music!" Quince shouted as they stopped in the middle of the dance floor. Quince was dancing - or, at least, trying to - but his eyes seemed to be constantly scanning the distance for something, or someone, else.

"Anyone I can help you find?" asked Stefa in a deadpan voice.

"Sorry! I'm just really tired. All of this fighting has made me exhausted."

Stefa laughed. "Boy, I let _you _off easily. You should consider yourself lucky."

Quince raised his eyebrows. "You seemed awfully upset at the implication that I would want to date her."

"Well, I don't really care, but do it on your own time, huh? Don't stand _me _up to do it." He reached around her waist and dipped her over, and there was silence between them. "Though, you know, Quince..."

He closed his eyes for a moment and shook his head as he let her back up. "Don't."

"Don't what?" she repeated, dumbfounded. She was highly aware of his hand still on her waist.

"Just don't. Stef, listen. You're great, but..." Quince shook his head again and stared up at the ceiling.

He released her waist. "I'm done. I can't do this. I'm sorry."

For a moment, she wobbled off of her feet. She missed him disappearing into the crowd. Somehow, though, Nalani knew. Nalani always knew. She waded through the crowd of people, pushing bodies out of her way when she could not navigate through the throng. She pushed herself close to Stefa and partially shouted, "What was that about?" Stefa stood beside her as they stared in the general direction of the exit Quince had headed for. When she looked at Nalani, she realized her eyes were narrowed into a glare. Sometimes, it was the little details that made Stefa appreciate her friend the most.

"I don't know, really," she said, shaking her head. "He's been acting weird all day, right?"

"Yeah, he wasn't being very normal during school, was he? Though, really, when has Quince ever acted remotely normal? Still, this is another disgusting layer of weird on top of his normal weirdness. Did you finally tell him that you deserve better and that he needs to get his ass out of here?"

A smile twitched on the edges of Stefa's lips. "No, I..."

Before she could finish her sentence, multiple screams rang out around them. The sound was practically deafening. Nalani held her head, unsure of who to glare at first, when she became totally still. "Stefa... Stefa, look! Look!" She was pointing straight up.

For one reason or another, Stefa was reminded of when Quince looked up before. She did not know why she made the connection, but she did.

The beams were lined with black... black something. They looked like gigantic insects, about the size of a small dog. In the dim lighting, their amber eyes were glowing. "Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit," she heard herself mumble distantly, as if her soul had disconnected from the body speaking. "What is that? What the fuck are those?"

More screaming, louder. The black bugs were jumping down into the crowd. Stefa lost Nalani in only a moment as the crowd surged and stampeded in an effort to get away from the creatures. She lost her footing as a group of five barreled her over in an effort to get away and, when she looked up, she could see streams of people, but none of her friends.

One of the bug things was close by, and it was larger than she had originally given it credit. It twitched when it moved. Someone else was on the floor, too. A lot of bodies littered the floor, some passed out, some frozen in fear. The person closest to her was staring down at the creature, eyes wide. The thing scampered over to them and raised a small hand that ended in a claw. In a blink, the thing had shoved its claws into the kid's chest.

"What...? What?"

For a moment, a bright pink crystal hung in midair as the kid just stared at it and screamed. Then, there was a flash and an even bigger insect-like creature was there. It was even larger, with longer limbs and everything. It was heading towards her.

Stefa unstrapped her shoes again and pushed her body off of the floor, willing it to move a little faster than the thing charging towards her. She ran across the gym with no real destination in mind. People were still blocking the exits, even though the gym was mostly empty, except for _those things_.

She fell down again, this time from the weight of something around her ankles. She squeezed her eyes shut as they burned. _'Please, not me too. Not me too. Please. I don't want to die.' _When she opened her eyes again, there were more of the things surrounding her; she was encircled by them.

_'Why...?' _Stefa closed her eyes again. _'I just hope it's quick.' _She could feel one of the creatures rush her, but then there was nothing. There was just a sudden weight in her hand.

What looked like a gigantic key was in her hand, her fingers instinctively clenching it. It was strange, it looked like broken hearts made the teeth of the strange weapon, but it was difficult to make out anything at the moment.

"Kill the Heartless," she heard someone say.

"Kill the...?" She looked down at the gigantic key. "With... with _this_?"

Another one of the twitching little creatures was preparing itself. It made its body small before launching itself toward her chest. Her hand flicked in its direction, and the key followed the trail, slashing into the thing, the Heartless, and killing it in one blow and a cloud of darkness.

The rest of the creatures stared up at her, and she lowered herself, putting her second hand on the weapon. Instead of running at her, they took off, somehow pressing themselves into the ground and running off.

Stefa glanced at the key a few more times, she even raised it up to better take a look at it.

"I must be dreaming," was the only thing she could think of, her heart hammering against her chest, as her knees released her body and she fell back to the floor.

* * *

**A/n: A whole lot of nothing in this one, my apologies! In the next chapter, we'll be meeting up with our favorite trio! **


	2. 2: Return of the Golden Trio

**Chapter Two:  
Return of the Golden Trio**

Kairi leaned over, panting, with a grimy glass bottle outstretched in her hand. Within it was a perfectly pristine piece of parchment with a mouse symbol seal. "Kairi? What's this?" asked Sora as he took the bottle from her hand. She only shook her head as she attempted to regain her breath. Sora uncorked the bottle with ease and shook the paper into his open palm. Riku leaned over his shoulder to get a better look.

"Definitely the King's seal." Sora nodded his agreement, using both hands to unfurl the letter. His eyes scanned over it quickly, but he sensed Riku pull away halfway through his read and release a sigh.

Kairi drew her height to its tallest and stood on Sora's other side. "A letter from the King? What does it say...?"

_'Riku, Sora, Kairi,_

_ I'm sorry to be doin' this to you fellas already. I know ya've only been home for a coupla weeks, but there's trouble a brewing already._

_ It looks like ya didn't see Maleficent for the last time back in the World that Never Was. She's already starting up with her own trouble. Who knows how long she's been at her plan?_

_ I'd rather talk to you fellas in person, but to keep it short..._

_ Seems like Maleficent's been recruiting more people to join her._

_ I'm not talking about other bad guys like Hades, Oogie, and the bunch. I'm talkin' Keyblade wielders. _

_ They're goin' around, causing all sortsa trouble and giving the Keyblade a bad name._

_ I'm not sure yet what we're up against, but I'm hopin' by the time ya come to the castle, I'll know a bit more. _

_ Hopin' to see ya soon!_

_ -The King_

Kairi looked at Sora, then glanced in Riku's general direction, but he was facing the sparkling water. "More Keyblade wielders?" was the only thing Kairi could think to say.

"It's not that surprising, really, when you think about it. Why would we be the only ones?" answered Riku.

Sora nodded. "Right. We thought that was that up until I met Roxas-"

Riku punched him in the shoulder. "Roxas is your Nobody, remember? Of course he has a Keyblade."

Sora rubbed the back of his head and chuckled. "That's right."

Kairi raised her index finger and shook her head, grinning. "How could you forget that?" She straightened up, her expression softening. "If Roxas can wield the Keyblade, why can't Naminé?" She craned her head around Sora to look at Riku. "You knew her, right?"

Riku shrugged. "Yeah, I guess I did. I'm not sure, myself. It seems to only make sense since you can use one, too... But Naminé's a special Nobody. Because of the way she was born, from both you and Sora, she could use her powers to change the memories of Sora and those around him. Though, when you consider that, she should be an even better Keyblade wielder than Roxas."

Kairi giggled. "I'm sure Naminé enjoys hearing that."

Sora, who had been unusually quiet, abruptly spoke. "Mm, hey, Kai? Where did you find this bottle?"

"Around the back of the island, near the broken bridge where you and Riku used to race. It was floating right on top of the small waterfall there, actually."

Riku looked at Sora, too. "You think he left us a Gummi ship?" Kairi made some 'ooh'ing noises.

"Well, he left us this letter that asked us to meet him, but no Donald or Goofy to deliver it, and no mention of anyone picking us up, so how else would we get to Disney Castle?"

"But how would it get here?" asked Kairi.

"There's an autopilot option, but even Chip and Dale could have controlled it back from the Castle. We should probably go check."

Riku managed a grin. "It's a Gummi Ship, Sora. Not exactly an inconspicuous object. Kairi, Wakka, Tidus and Selphie don't really visit this island anymore, right?"

Kairi shook her head. "No, not really. Not since we were kids..." Her sentence hung in the air for a moment as the three looked at one another.

For two weeks, they had been attempting to readjust into their old lives. It was not exactly a difficult feat for Kairi, who had been home for awhile but, for Sora and Riku, it had been far from easy. Fortunately for them, knowing King Mickey helped them significantly.

Even though the trio had been doing their best to return to how they used to be, it was a difficult feat, if not impossible.

"And the first day we all came back together," smiled Kairi. "But I don't think they have much use for this island anymore. It's kind of sad, but I guess we all grew used to not coming here anymore."

When Sora said nothing, Riku nodded. "I can see why."

Kairi pressed her hands together. "Let's see if we can find the ship! I've never been in a Gummi Ship before! I can't wait- but, um, what are we going to tell our parents?" Sora opened and closed his mouth a few times.

"Nothing," replied Riku softly. "What could we tell them, anyway? They wouldn't believe us even if we told the truth. Who knows, maybe we won't be gone for long?" he added with a small smile.

Kairi just sighed and smiled. "I know that no one here, least of all you, believes that. C'mon, let's go!"

* * *

The chair squealed and groaned in progress an action that, coincidentally, he felt like mimicking. Instead, he kept his face covered and his eyes on the table. "You seem a little depressed. Anything I can help you with?"

He did not respond, faintly recalling something his mother once said about bullies. The jingling of jewelry banging against the tabletop distracted him from his thoughts. With an inward sigh, he waited a little longer.

Whoever was bothering him heaved a sigh and began to tap fingers against the table in a broken beat. "It sure is boring around here. I wonder what the others are up to?" asked a somewhat sultry, yet bored-sounding, voice. The girl had the patience of all the world; she waited a while longer before speaking again. "C'mon, don't be so withdrawn. If we're all going to be living together, we should get to know each other. There's no reason to dwell in the past, I mean, you're world is almost definitely gone for good."

He pulled himself to his feet and slammed his hands against the table. The effect of moving so quickly was dizzying.

The redheaded girl only leaned back in her chair with a smile twitching at the corners of her lips. "Well, that got your attention." She wrapped her index finger around a strand of red and blue dyed hair. "I just thought we should get to know each other if we're going to be on the same team."

She looked him up and down and rolled her eyes. "Damn, back home, i used to eat boys like you for breakfast. You're still in your formal wear, hair's a mess. You should really see a shower, dude." The chair slammed down on all fours, and she stood, grabbing a piece of burnt toast out of the toaster as she headed for the door. "Name's Tiesa, by the way. Elie's looking for you out on the fifth floor balcony. You should probably shower first, Quince."

The door swung shut behind her, and he allowed his posture to sag a little. He looked down at his slightly rumpled clothing and made for the door.

He was the perfect picture of calm; his hands didn't shake at all.

He clawed at his silky red tie and tossed it to the ground as he walked out of the too white kitchen, too.

* * *

Her body, her being, felt light, like a feather. It felt like she was floating through life, neither here or there. It was such a pleasant feeling that she did not want to let it go. She could not remember anything, though she felt she should. Who was she? Where was she? What happened to her? And why was it so dark? Her dreamlike state kept her serene and at ease.

She exhaled to make her body even lighter, so that she could fly even higher.

There was a constant, annoying sound that she was aware of, though she tried to ignore it. The click, click, click of heels of some type. Like maybe she wasn't flying at all. Maybe she was walking.

With her eyes closed? How weird.

Not weird if someone was carrying her.

Her eyes flew open, and everything came crashing around her. Her body still felt light, but there was something jutting into her abdomen. When she stared, she could see pavement, and, when she looked a little harder, she saw long legs wearing dark pants. All dark clothing, actually.

What the hell?

She began to squirm, and her squirm slowly turned into an all out struggle. her legs floundered about like a fish out of water. She grasped at the air for the person's back, trying to pound into it.

The more she fought, the dizzier she became. Confusion annihilated her. "Let me go!" she heard herself rasp.

Then, she was on the ground, on all fours. She was distantly aware that she was still in her red dress, still wearing the blasted silver heels. Her curls had faded only a little. _'Such is Nalani's work,' _she thought with an out of place grin.

"Nalani?" Her head snapped so quickly to look at the person that it cracked.

The person who had been carrying her was still standing there, watching. The face was difficult to see in the darkness, made even more impossible by the hood of the long black jacket they were wearing. "Who are you? Where am I?"

She looked around, but she did not recognize the area at all. It could have been residental, somewhere in the town where she lived. Suburbs all tended to look the same, so it was impossible to tell where for sure, especially in the dark. There were many trees, the occasional streetlight, and a bunch here and there. Houses lined either side of the path they were standing on, but all of them were dark. Her legs slowly propelled her backwards. "What do you want with me?"

The person continued to stare at her.

She certainly was not going to wait around for an answer. Her arms pushed her off of the ground, and she slowly swayed on the thin heels of her dress shoes. Still, the stranger stared at her. _'Giving me time for an exit, then.' _

Stefa tried not to tell herself that the stranger had longer legs, and could catch her within a few strides. She tried not to tell herself that her ability to run in her high heels was very low. She tried not to tell herself what the person who do if she was caught.

She ran, but did not get far. Her left shoe gave out beneath her, twisting her ankle and breaking the heel. "Fuck the shoes!" Her red painted nails scraped at the skin around the straps, flaying them as she tried to make her shaking hands work better. Finally, she was free and, when she chanced a glance, just saw the person taking leisourly steps towards her. With nothing left holding her back, she started to run again, only to stop short as her ankle burned.

She tried to ignore it, but the burn demanded to be noticed. "Fuck it, just fuck it," she heard herself cry as she continued to run, much to the protest of her ankle.

Suddenly, three large, black puddles rose before her. The shadows were inky black. There was no blue shine reflecting the occasional light back at her. It was almost nothingness, just pure darkness. Three shapes rose from the puddles, and she distantly reconized their forms. Long antennae that curled, long forearms that ended in sharp claws, and larger amber eyes.

She inhaled sharply. "Like before, those things! Is this still a dream?"

If it was, then...

"That stupid key thing! The key! Come back key! Banisher! Come!" She glanced behind her, saw the person still walking. Time was running out. "_Come on_!" she screamed at her empty hands.

With a flash of light, the strange weapon returned to her hand. She grasped it with her left hand and broke into a crouch. When she waved it at one of the nearest creatures, it fell back, but that was it. It did not disappear like before. "What?" she stuttered. "Work like before! Please!" The creature flipped itself back onto its feet and ran towards her with its claws raised. It launched its body at her, and she fell back onto the pavement, cracking the base of her skull against the faded asphalt.

The creature scratched at her chest with greed, its claws ripping into the frail veil that covered the dress.

She could feel her consciousness fading, and she truly welcomed it. Perhaps it would be painless. Certainly it would be quick, right? The process had looked quick back in the gym, at the dance... Her eyes closed.

The weight returned to her hand, and her eyes snapped open. _'Can't just give up just like that!' _She waved the weapon like it was nothing and beat the creature clawing at her. "And I definitely can't let you ruin my favorite dress." She stood tall and rounded on the rest of the creatures.

_'These are Heartless_,' she thought to herself without knowing how she knew that. _'These are nothing.' _ There was a thought that she could get behind. She was ready to take on more when the man in the long jacket snapped his fingers, and the rest of the creatures disappeared. Stefa could nearly feel a frown appear on her face. "Where are we? Is this my home?" She shook her head, glad to see her Keyblade still in her hand. "How would you even know where that is?"

When she looked back up, she was alone.

Stefa kept an iron grip on the Keyblade as she took a few steps forward. _'Maybe he jumped in the bushes?' _

The ground disappeared beneath her as she whisked off of her feet again. She glanced over her shoulder and saw the man dragging her into a black vortex of darkness. Flowing darkness and nothing else.

It looked like a seam had been torn into the Earth, from which darkness poured like a wound. "What the hell is that? Don't bring me near that thing! Stop!" She floundered, swinging her arm wildly and hitting absolutely nothing, and she was submerged into blackness.

It was difficult for her to tell if she was dreaming or if her eyes were closed or what. It was so black that it was absolutely unnatural. Goosebumps prickled onto her arms, she could feel the chill passing over her.

The darkness did not last long and quickly gave away to a very bright, annoying light. Her body fell to the cold ground, and she shielded her eyes for a moment as she groaned. "Get up," a deep male voice ordered her, but she remained where she was, unmoving.

A boot kicked into her rib with enough force to knock her onto her back. "Okay, okay, please, please no more." She looked up to see the same man staring down at her. She slowly began to ease herself up, only to have another kick aimed at the same rib. "Fucking hell! I said I was getting up!"

The man reached a gloved hand down and dragged her up by the arm and continued to drag him alongside her.

Wherever they were, it was very purple. The ground was an unnatural indigo color, and it felt hard beneath her feet. The purple was a swirling storm of indigo and violet. He seemed to be dragging them uphill and when they reached the top, she was greeted with quite the sight. "What the hell?" The area was unlike anything she had ever seen. She had to remind herself to breathe.

Stretching out ahead of them, for countless stretches of miles, was a swirling lilac ocean. Dark rocks jutted out here and there, but it looked to be overall empty. "What is this? The end of the fucking globe?"

"Something like that," he answered, and she could almost hear the laughter in his voice. "This is the end. Nothingness stretches on for miles and miles. The only inhabitants of this place are the Heartless. This is their home, their origin. Such a beautiful place..."

His vice grip had not left her arm. "Can you feel it?" he asked, glancing down at her. "The power here?"

"All I can feel is your fucking hand on my arm. Could you let me go? You're hurting me."

He glanced down at her Keyblade-wielding arm and chuckled. "As if I would let you go when you're holding that." His gaze returned to the ocean. "I saved you. You should be thankful."

"Saved me?! Is that what you call kidnapping and attacking me?" she asked incredulously, her eyes so wide that they might pop out of her skull.

"Your world was disappearing, succumbing to the darkness. I pulled you out before you could disappear with it."

"How could an entire place just disappear? You're lying."

"I have nothing to prove to you." He released her arm, and Stefa immediately lunged for him with the Keyblade. He grabbed her wrist with ease and pulled it backwards. "Is that really something you want to do?"

Through gritted teeth, she said, "Tell me what you did to my home, you fucking weirdo! My home, and everything, everyone with it...? They're here?"

He shrugged and glanced into the distance. "Who knows, really? I suppose there would be only way to find out." His grip loosened and dropped away from her hand before he started back down the hill.

She grunted and cradled the hand in her other as her weapon disappeared. "W-where are you going?" He ignored her and walked through the mouth of a cave, and, cursing under her breath, she slipped and slid after him.

Within moments, she reached the entrance to the cave, just in time to find a disappearing, black portal.

* * *

"Sora, are you sure you know how to navigate this thing?" asked Kairi as she dug her nails into the cushioning of her seat to the left of Sora.

Sora tilted the steering wheel in one dramatic direction before swiveling it in the opposite direction. "'course, Kai! I've done this hundreds of times with Donald and Goofy."

"And what, exactly, are the odds of Donald helping you steer?" asked Riku, who was likewise digging his body into the chair. "It's a shame I lost that coin toss."

Sora glanced back at Riku. "I guess so, but, Riku, you've never even handled one of these before!"

"Sora, Sora, meteor! Meteor, Sora, watch what you're doing!" squealed Kairi before throwing her hands over her eyes as a gigantic blue meteor loomed before the ship. Sora hurriedly pulled backwards on the wheel, causing Riku to bang his head against his seat, and somehow managed to navigate the ship out of harm's way.

Sora rubbed the back of his head. "Oh, right, Riku, could you take care of the lasers?"

"Now you tell me... Just try not to steer this thing too crazy. It's hard enough to just sit here when my head is slamming into my seat..."

Kairi peered through her fingers. "Looks like there's no need. This is it, right?" Sure enough, a tall blue castle loomed before them.

A screen dropped out from the ceiling to reveal a small chipmunk with orange fur and a bright, red nose. The chipmunk chuckled. "Sora, looks like you had a fun ride here, huh? We'll give you clearance to land."

A second chipmunk with darker fur and a black nose appeared on screen. "Please, just press the red button right at the front and let us take care of the rest, okay? I don't want to have to be cleaning up the hangar all day..." The screen clicked off, and Sora managed a small laugh.

"It _has _been a while since I piloted a Gummi Ship, in my defense," he assured his friends as he pressed a button on the dashboard.

"Sora, that was the wrong-" Riku was cut off as the ship spiraled downwards and bounced out onto a hangar. Through the window, Kairi could see the black-nosed chipmunk covering his eyes as the other one took control of a robotic arm that stopped the Gummi Ship.

"Great job, Sora!" cheered the black-nosed chipmunk. "You should come around more often. It would really loosen up my brother!" Up in the control tower, the darker furred chipmunk seemed to faint.

The trio walked out of the hangar to find themselves in a expansive garden, colored with lush green grass and roses, daisies, and almost any other flower one could think of lining the area. "It's so beautiful," breathed Kairi as she looked around. "Whoever did all of this worked a lot to maintain it!"

"That's Daisy and Queen Minnie, Kairi," a familiar, scratchy voice quacked. Sora, Kairi and Riku rounded a corner to find a duck dressed in formal wear with a magician's hat and a tall dog in armor waiting for them.

"Donald! Goofy!" Sora rushed forward to envelop the two in hugs. "I know it hasn't been long, but I missed you."

"Gawrsh, Sora, we missed you too! After spending so much time together for a couple of years, we all grew used to bein' together! Riku, Kairi," at her name, he managed a fumbling little bow, "S'nice to see ya again, too!"

Kairi's cheeks burned, but she managed a wave, while Riku smiled and inclined his head. Donald and Goofy straightened up immediately as Donald cleared his throat. "King Mickey wanted to see you on some urgent business."

Sora nodded. "We read, about other Keyblade wielders? What's that about?"

"You'll see," answered Goofy in a slight mumble. "Gawrsh, s'not looking so good out there right now..."

"There's gotta be a reason for it, Goofy!" quacked Donald.

"Maybe Maleficent brainwashed them, or something?" suggested Sora. "She's a witch, she could definitely manage that..."

Way behind Donald, Sora, and Goofy, Riku chuckled dryly. "She wouldn't have to even manage that much. Sometimes, people can do it all on their own."

Kairi poked him in the arm. "Riku, you were different. You couldn't help what happened. And, besides, you're different now. You've moved on." She tilted her head at an angle and smiled. "Right?"

Riku managed to return the smile. "Yeah, guess you're right."

"C'mon, the King's waiting in his office!" called Donald, and Kairi and Riku picked up their paces.

The office was not a particularly large, though it could have been that the room felt smaller because of the bookcases cramming most of the walls. A small desk had been placed into the corner, and a dog basket with a sleeping canine was placed in front of it. "Riku, Sora, Kairi! It's nice to see you fellas again!" Mickey greeted them in a boisterous voice as Donald and Goofy ushered them near his desk. The smile slipped off of his face. "I'm sorry, again, to have taken you away from your home... I know it's been so long since ya've been there and all..."

Sora only grinned. "We're Keyblade wielders, Your Majesty! It's what we do, right?"

"So..." Kairi hesitated on the word as she crossed her arms over her pink dress. "What is this about Maleficent?" Riku and Kairi both placed a hand on either of her shoulders, and Mickey aimed a warm smile in her direction.

"Don't worry, Kairi. Ya've got nothin' to worry about with your friends around or with you usin' your own Keyblade!" Mickey gestured to the chairs before the desk. "Please, sit, so we can talk."

Donald and Goofy remained off to the side. "Sir!" said Goofy, his hand on his forehead, and the most strict look possible on his face. "We'll head out and start lookin' at the other worlds for us."

"Oh, we're not going together?" asked Sora, looking at his old companions and then the King.

Goofy smiled. "Don'tcha worry! I'm sure we'll be seein' ya in no time at all!"

King Mickey nodded. "Alright you two, be safe, and keep in touch. Let me know when you hear or see anything, alright?"

"Sir!" The two said in unison before marching back out the door. With them gone, the room felt somehow emptier.

Mickey cleared his throat. "So, here we are, fellas. Ah... Here's what I've found out. Chip and Dale've been finding security footage, from different worlds, of others using the Keyblades. At first, they thought it might be one of you fellas, 'til they realized that none of the videos came from Destiny Islands, and none of the Keyblades resembled yours."

"Did you see what they looked like?" asked Sora.

Mickey slowly shook his head. "No. You see, they were wearing the long black jackets, just like Organization XIII used to wear."

"They didn't come back, somehow, did they?" asked Riku.

"It's hard to say 'yes' or 'no,' I still haven't gathered that much about 'em, but I don't see why they would work with Maleficent. The two groups hated each other."

"Considering Maleficent's last stand, I would have to say your probably right," agreed Riku.

"Then who?" wondered Kairi.

"Well-" Mickey paused as a holographic screen blinked into existence between them.

"King Mickey," squeaked Chip, "Dale and I just found another video of one of them Keyblade wielders, but his hood slipped off! Look!" The chipmunk's face disappeared as some grainy video footage appeared. There was a person dressed in the jacket the King had already described, stooped low with a sleek black Keyblade with a spiderweb design making up the teeth. The Keyblade was only on screen for a moment before it disappeared. As the wielder stood up, he accidentally flipped the hood off of his head. It fell around his neck to reveal a boy with dark hair that had the tips dyed.

Dale's face appeared on screen. "We're tryin' to edit the video so we can see what he actually looks like, but it looks like that's all we've got to go on right now. Sorry, Your Majesty."

Mickey shook his head. "No, that's enough. Thank you both so much. Keep trying, okay?" The screen clicked off, and Mickey tried to smile. "I'm guessin' you fellas know what I'm gonna ask you next, huh?"

"You want us to go search different worlds for these people?" asked Riku.

Sora earnestly nodded his head and jumped out of his seat. "Leave it to us, Your Majesty! We'll find these people and teach them what you're really supposed to be using the Keyblade for. Maybe we can talk some sense into them."

"I appreciate it, fellas. Just remember that these wielders are probably dangerous and more than likely hostile. You're gonna have to be careful in the way you handle them. Hmm, but I was hopin' Kairi would get the chance to know how to use her Keyblade a bit before ya had to face any enemies..."

Sora shrugged. "It's mostly instinct anyway! Kairi's great; she'll pick it up in no time at all. Besides, she has all of that sword practice fighting under her belt from when we were kids."

"Sora, not all of us could claim to be Keyblade Masters! I couldn't possibly pick up how to wield the Keyblade as quickly as you could!" protested Kairi, her cheeks dark enough to match her hair.

"Besides, it takes practice to get good at it. I could probably still beat you, Sora."

Sora frowned at Riku. "We can test that idea out, if you-"

Kairi put both of her arms around their necks, pulling them down to her level, and smiled. "With these two as my teachers, I'm sure I'll become good in no time, Your Majesty. Don't worry."

Mickey chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose you're right."


End file.
